Author Topic: FW-190 question  (Read 11413 times)

Offline Makoyouidiot

  • Copper Member
  • **
  • Posts: 262
FW-190 question
« on: May 23, 2010, 11:07:36 PM »
Of the A-5, A-8, and F-8, which performs best as far as speed/climbrate/turning ability and general flying? I've been flying the D-9 and TA-152 a bit, wanted to downgrade so I can farm more perks.  :D
Formerly known as Mako15, MakoShrk, and MattiasK, now flying as Matty, on long term leave.

"It's MAKO, you IDIOT!"

Offline Karnak

  • Radioactive Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 23047
Re: FW-190 question
« Reply #1 on: May 23, 2010, 11:18:02 PM »
The A-5 has more pleasant flight characteristics, but the A-8/F-8 are faster.

It is possible that the A-8 might get lightened a little and that could change things up a bit.
Petals floating by,
      Drift through my woman's hand,
             As she remembers me-

Offline Krusty

  • Radioactive Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 26745
Re: FW-190 question
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2010, 11:26:06 PM »
The F8 and A8 in-game have identical speed and climb charts. That's just how it is in-game, not how it was in reality. The F-8 however is weighed down with about 800-1000 lbs of armor plating and is the WORST option to dogfight in. It is ground attack.

The upside is with all that weight if you get shot in the engine you rarely lose oil. The downside is you can't manuver worth a damn and are shot down from non-oil-related hits.

The A-5 is the way to go. It's much lighter than the A-8 so the turning performance and overall light responses are much more improved. It outclimbs an A-8 any day of the week. The top speed is faster than the A-8 noticably between 4k and 10k, and from there up to 20k it's just a couple mph slower, then from 20k+ it's much much faster. Below 4k the A-8 will be faster.

The major reason for the A8 is the weapons package. It's a bit of a pig in this game (modeled with too much weight), so definitely work your way up to it with the A-5. Many folks enjoy the enhanced firepower of 4x 20mm cannons. Many folks decry the weak hitting power of the A-5s outboard guns, but frankly any 20mm cannon is still better than the 7mm cowling guns. If you choose the 2-cannon package you'll still have more than enough to fight with.

Major problem moving form a Dora backwards is that the Dora has the extra horsepower to climb out of trouble, to scrub E off for a killshot then regain it in time to avoid getting killed. In the A-5 you're going to have a harder time recovering that E. You really don't want to get low and slow, because if you find you're riding a stall you may not be able to get your nose up at all (whereas a dora might be able to). Start out easy and work your way in to knife fights.

Offline froger

  • Silver Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 838
Re: FW-190 question
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2010, 01:42:56 AM »
seems to me the 190 is the preferred squeaker dweeb bird.

the A8 is the 190 HO bird of choice for the 2 weeker.

the Dora seems to be the favored among the short skilled 2 weeker that can't make his mind
up to fight or run.

as slow as the A5 is, i think it handles the best second only to the Dora and the guns are ok.

they all seem to be unstable in a lot of ways but folks love to fly um.

I do know that the A5 and the Dora in the hands of a good stick are very dangerous !!!



I'M just sayin

froger
frogs are people too

Offline grizz441

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 7000
Re: FW-190 question
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2010, 01:49:54 AM »
seems to me the 190 is the preferred squeaker dweeb bird.

the A8 is the 190 HO bird of choice for the 2 weeker.

the Dora seems to be the favored among the short skilled 2 weeker that can't make his mind
up to fight or run.

as slow as the A5 is, i think it handles the best second only to the Dora and the guns are ok.

they all seem to be unstable in a lot of ways but folks love to fly um.

I do know that the A5 and the Dora in the hands of a good stick are very dangerous !!!

I'M just sayin

froger

There aren't a lot of good pilots that gravitate towards the 190 series anymore.  Pervert and Drediock can dogfight the 190D9's very well.  IrishOne and Mazz are very good in the 190A5s.  m00t(inactive though) and myself (maybe Sukov emerging?) in the Ta152.  KillnU owns in the 190A8.  Off the top of my head I can't think of any other Focke Wulf guys that are active.

Offline Krusty

  • Radioactive Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 26745
Re: FW-190 question
« Reply #5 on: May 24, 2010, 01:57:10 AM »
Doom flies them a lot last I checked, I love 'em myself as well.

However, I have to disagree about the squeakers comment. Only squeakers I see in 190s are in A8s suicide porking fields. As the 190 line has no spitfire level of ease and manuverability, most of the 2 weekers and squeakers avoid it because they die in it.

EDIT: I mean of the A/F lines. Naturally the dora's speed makes it squeaker friendly for runners.

Offline VonMessa

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 11922
Re: FW-190 question
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2010, 05:11:04 AM »
There aren't a lot of good pilots that gravitate towards the 190 series anymore.  Pervert and Drediock can dogfight the 190D9's very well.  IrishOne and Mazz are very good in the 190A5s.  m00t(inactive though) and myself (maybe Sukov emerging?) in the Ta152.  KillnU owns in the 190A8.  Off the top of my head I can't think of any other Focke Wulf guys that are active.

Not thinking very hard then, are you?   :noid


Bet I could name a few

 :devil
Braümeister und Schmutziger Hund von JG11


We are all here because we are not all there.

Offline 321BAR

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 6140
Re: FW-190 question
« Reply #7 on: May 24, 2010, 06:04:56 AM »
whenever i see a 190 A-model over an allied base...i think :noid doom is here to pick me and dance through the ack to vulch me again... :noid
I am in need of a new epic quote
Happy Jack's Go Buggy

Offline fbWldcat

  • Gold Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2970
Re: FW-190 question
« Reply #8 on: May 24, 2010, 06:21:16 AM »
There aren't a lot of good pilots that gravitate towards the 190 series anymore.  Pervert and Drediock can dogfight the 190D9's very well.  IrishOne and Mazz are very good in the 190A5s.  m00t(inactive though) and myself (maybe Sukov emerging?) in the Ta152.  KillnU owns in the 190A8.  Off the top of my head I can't think of any other Focke Wulf guys that are active.

FBDragon (190 A-8). I'll take the 190 out for a spin every once in a while. Once you realize its strengths, it is very hard to beat.
Landing is overrated.
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I: I took the one less traveled by." - Robert Frost
"Uncommon valor was a common virtue." <S>

Offline RTHolmes

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 8260
Re: FW-190 question
« Reply #9 on: May 24, 2010, 08:32:15 AM »
Doom: ack's worst nightmare :uhoh
71 (Eagle) Squadron

What most of us want to do is simply shoot stuff and look good doing it - Chilli

Offline Nemisis

  • Persona Non Grata
  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 4086
      • Fightin 49'ers
Re: FW-190 question
« Reply #10 on: May 24, 2010, 11:14:04 PM »
By no means an expert here, but for BnZ'ing, your asking for the 190A8, while the A5 is a far superior knife fighter. The A5 is my main ride, and I usually do fairly well when I don't fight uphill.
All man needs to be happy is a home, his wife, and a place in the world

Col. 49Nem, Armor commander of the 49th

Offline Greziz

  • Copper Member
  • **
  • Posts: 206
Re: FW-190 question
« Reply #11 on: May 24, 2010, 11:25:37 PM »
I gotta give it to fbdraggon. He loves that a8 and dogfights in it, he is not one to shirk in fear and run that being said if he retained his e just a wee bit better he would be very very dangerous but as is I think he is the only 190 I ever catch in my rearview mirror that I think is about to catch me in a flat turn >.< I hate having to split ess towards the ground because I think the 190 is about to catch me in a flat turn -.-

[Big salute to FbDraggon]
 {Never give up on getting better and better in your 190 man. I think some day you can make the plane synonymous with your name}
« Last Edit: May 24, 2010, 11:27:43 PM by Greziz »

Offline BaldEagl

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 10791
Re: FW-190 question
« Reply #12 on: May 24, 2010, 11:49:26 PM »
I used to fly 190's a lot.  Here, copied and pasted many times from a prior post of mine in the Help and Training forum.  Hope this helps:

The 190's have literally NO advantages over any other ac in the game other than roll rate (plus guns in the A8 and speed in the Dora).  It requires very strong SA, good knowledge of ACM's and strong E management skills to stay alive.  You can't just yank and bank in a 190.  Many ACM's are not even feasable given energy states.

Pick your 190 to suit your mission:

190A-5 - Best turner of the group, lightest and most nimble and packs a punch if you load out all 4 cannons although the outboard MGFF's are poor ballistically and many will suggest leaving them in the hanger.

190A-8 - Heaviest of the group but packs the biggest punch with 2x30mm, 2x20mm cannons and 2x13mm machine guns.  Great for buff hunting and a decent fighter.

190D-9 - Fastest of the group.  Among the fastest in the arena.  Purely a B'n'Zer.  Lightest gun package with only 2x20mm cannons plus machine guns but they are plenty for taking out fighters.

190F-8 - Best ground attack fighter in the group.  Performance is similar to the A-8 so it makes a decent fighter as well.

Ta-152H - Slowest of the group at low to mid alts but among the fastest in the arenas over 20K.  1x30mm plus 2x20mm make it a good high alt hunter.  Max dive speed is ~100 mph lower than the other 190's but it will glide forever (which is good as the radiator is prone to damage).

Common charachteristics:  Great dive speed (500 ias+) without compression, poor climb rates but zoom climb is good, best roll rates of any plane, poor turn rates but can change direction quickly by using roll rate with gentle turns.  The A8 and F8 carry an extra auxilery gas tank not included in the others which extends range.  Adding drop tanks adds a rack that remains once the tank is jettisoned resulting in as much as an 8 mph loss.

How to fight:  Start fast, preferably with alt.  Look to B'n'Z.  You can turn to get shots but do not turn more than about 540 degrees total during your engagement and pull gently on the stick when doing so (low-G turns).  If you come in behind someone there is almost no escape for them as you can change direction quickly using the roll rate to adjust for a snapshot.  Never let the stall buzzer sound.  Once you've turned the maximum amount (about 540 degrees of flat turning) exit in a zoom climb for alt then repeat.  You need ~3-3.5K seperation to reverse on someone chasing you unless it's in a vertical reversal (see below).  Use nose low turns (split-s/low yo-yo, etc.) whenever possible to conserve speed.  In general, avoid looping manouvers however, If the 190 has enough speed to use a vertical reversal (pull up, roll 180 degrees then pull down) you'll have at least one good shot opportunity on the bogie below you and, even if that just gets the bogies attention you may get a second opportunity in a subsequent move.

Best defenses:  Speed.  Use your roll rate to keep pursuing opponents out of plane.  Lacking speed use a flat or rolling scissors to try and force an overshoot.  Rolling scissors are trickier as the 190's will simply spin around their horizontal axis so you'll need to add some rudder input to gain the offset roll.

IMHO one of the 190's are one of the best familys of fighters in the game if you get to know them.  The A-8 is my personal favorite among them and is consistantly among my best planes in terms of K/D.
I edit a lot of my posts.  Get used to it.

Offline grizz441

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 7000
Re: FW-190 question
« Reply #13 on: May 25, 2010, 12:45:18 AM »
Small error BaldEagl... the Ta152 is much faster than the 190A8 and 190A5, even at low to mid alts.  It takes over the D9 at about 23k.  It also has an insane amount of wep and carries lots of fuel.  This allows it to outrun planes like the P51D and Jugs in a sustained chase.

Offline Nemisis

  • Persona Non Grata
  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 4086
      • Fightin 49'ers
Re: FW-190 question
« Reply #14 on: May 25, 2010, 01:51:59 AM »
BaldEagl, if I may...

I've also seen the 190A5, A8, and D9 flown in a slashing style with good effect. They seem to start with a shallow dive to build up some speed, race through a group of cons, and use their E to zoom back up. For some reason, the A5 seems to be most succesful at this (I guess it would be due to increased manuverabilty alowing them to get guns to bear on a target easier). Is this a recomended tactic, or would I be screwing myself over with this?

Usually I fly low and jump spits who blows his E turning to HO me (which is easily avoidable IMO).
All man needs to be happy is a home, his wife, and a place in the world

Col. 49Nem, Armor commander of the 49th